And cupping paper cartridge



11 sheets-sheet, 1'.v

(No Model.)

W. MASON. AUTOMATIC MACHINE POR WADDINC AND CUPPING PAPER CARTRIDGE SHELLS.

Patented Aug. 24,1897.

11 Sheets-.Sheet 2. W. MASON.

AUTOMATIC MACHINE FOR WADDING AND CUPPING PAPER CARTRIDGE SHELLS.

(No Model.)

SHELLS..

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TH: aims #um co, wovomwo., wAswNm-on, n. c,

(No Model.)

11 Sheets-Sheet 4. W. MASON. AUTOMATIC MACHINE POR WADDING AND GUPPING PAPER-CARTRIDGE SHBLLS.

Patented AugQZLl, 1897.

i AH "FN \///w\ i w lw A 11 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(N0 Model.)

l W. MASON. AUTOMATIC MACHINE ECR WADDING AND CUPPING PAPER CARTRIDGE SHELLS.

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11 sheets-sheet 6.

(No Model.)

W. MASON. AUTOMATIC MACHNE POR WADMNG AND GUPPING- PAPER CARTRIDGE SHELLS.

P ateted Aug. 24,1897.

ma Honmsmzns oo.. Puorouuo.. wAsHwnroN. c. c.

(No Model.)

W. MASON.

11 Sheets-Sheet 7.

AUTOMATIC MACHINE EUR WADDING ANDUIIP'PYING PAPER CARTRIDGE SHBLLS.

Patented Aug. 24, 1897.

i lu (No Model.) Y 11 sheets-sheet s.

W. MASON.'

AUTOMATIC MACHINE ECR WADDTNC AND CUPPINC PAPER CARTRIDGE sEELLs.

N0. 588,801. Patented Aug. 24,1897..y

Nom virus so. vnurmlrun WA ummm o L (No Model.) 11 Sheets-'Sheet 9. W. MASON. y AUTOMATIC MACHINE POR WADDING AND GUPPING PAPER CARTRIDGE SHELLS.

No. 588,801. Patented Aug. 24,1897.

(No Model.) 11 Sheets-Sheet 10.y

W. MASON. A AUTOMATIC MACHINE POR WADDING AND CUPPING PAPER CARTRIDGE SHELLS.

Patented Aug. 24,1897.

(No Model.) 11 sheets-sheet A11.

W. MASON. Y AUTOMATIC MACHINBE'OR WADDING AND GUPPING PAPER CARTRIDGE SHELLS. No. 588,801v Patented Aug. 24,1897..

mlm A UNITED STATES .PATENT OEEICE.

lVILLIAM MASON, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE IVINCIIESTER REPEATING ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE. l

AUTOMATIC MACHINE FOR WADDING AND CUPPING PAPER CARTRIDGE-SHELLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,801, dated August 24, 1897.

Application led Tune 26,1895. Serial No. 554,067. (No model.)

To (LN wlmi/t it 71ml/ 001506772..-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MASON, of New IIaven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have inventedanewlmprovement in Automatic Machines for Wadding and Cupping Paper Cartridge-Shells; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure l, a View of one form which a machine constructed in accordance with iny'invention n1ayassume,the wadding mechanism being shown in side elevation and the cupping mechanism being shown in front elevation; Fig. 2, a view with the wadding mechanism shown in front elevation and the cupping mechanism shown in side elevation; Fig. 3, a plan view of the machine; Fig. 4, a partial View of the machine in rear elevation, with particular reference to showing the driving connections of the feed-rolls and knives; Fig. 5, an enlarged view, in vertical central section, through one of the wad-winding spindles and the parts immediately connected therewith Fig. 5", a broken reverse plan view of the spindle, together with its annular die and knife, and showing a wound wad in the die; Fig. 5h, a detached plan view showing one of the stop-cams; Fig. 5", a View in transverse section on the line a b of Fig. 5; Fig. 5, a view in transverse section on the line c d of the same figure; Fig. 6, a partial plan view of the wadding mechanism, with particular reference to showing the operating connections of the feed-rolls; Fig. 7, a view, partly in plan and partly in transverse section, also showing the operating connections of the feed-rolls; Fig. 8, a view in vertical section through the movable and yielding feed-roll F on the line e f of Fig. 7; Fig. 9, a partial view, in front elevation, of the wadding mechanism, with particular reference to showing the plunger-head and the connection of the same to the plunger; Fig. 10, a View, partly in plan and partly in section, of the wadding mechanism, with particular reference to showing the knives which cut off the paper strips; Fig. 11, a detached plan view of the stop-cams of the wad-windingspindles, the stop-fingers which cooperate with the said cams, the arms carrying those lingers, and the rock-shaft carrying the arms; Fig. l1, a viewvof the same parts in front elevation; Fig. 11?, a detached view of the operatingfinger which is mounted on the rock-shaft; Fig. 11, a detached view of one of the stopiingers; Fig. 12, a broken view, in vertical section, ofthe lower end of the chute of the assembling or cupping machine, showing also a portion of the dial of the feeding mechanism; Fig. 12, a View, partly in section and partly in front elevation, of the cup-holding fingers of the said mechanism; Fig. 13, a detached plan view of the said fingers.

Myinvenlion relates to an improvement in automatic machines for making paper-shell cartridges, and is designed to wind wads and.

introduce them into the paper tubes and then` to apply sheet-metal cups to the wadded ends of the tubes, the object being to avoid handling the tubes after they have been wadded and before they are cupped, whereby economy of time and labor is secured, and to produce a machine having a great capacity for superior work.

With these ends in viewmyinvention consists in the combination, in an automatic Wadding and clipping machine, with a wadding mechanism, of an assembling or cupping mechanism and a feeding mechanism arranged to present empty paper tubes to the Waddin g mechanism in position to receive the wads'produced thereby and then to present the wadded tubes to the assembling or cupping mechanism in position to have cups applied to their wadded ends, whereby one feeding mechanisnrsulices for the feeding of one waddingmechanismvand also for the feeding of one cupping mechanism. f

My invention further consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying outmy invention I prefer to employ a wadding mechanism constructed on the principle of that disclosed in United States Patent No. 237,605, granted February S, 1881, to George P. Salisbury and assigned ICO to the Vinchester RepcatingArms Company. The machine chosen for illustration has a double wadding mechanism, or two wadding mechanisms, functionally independent of eachother, but organized together. I do not, however, limit myself to the employment of a wadding mechanism of the character described nor to the employment of a double wadding mechanism.

For the purposes of this description it will be sufficient to describe one of the wadding mechanisms, the saine letters of reference being generally applied to both, except where details may vary and where it becomes necessary to repeatedly refer to corresponding parts.

Each wadding mechanism has a verticallyarranged wad-wiriding-spindle A, having a vertical slot. A formed in its lower end, which is reduced in diameter, as at A2. A fixed annular die B, corresponding in internal diameter to the external diameter of the wads to be produced and mounted in fixed position in the frame C of the wadding mechanism, surrounds the reduced and slotted lower end of the spindle, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. This die has a vertical slot B' extending' diametrically through its lower end, as clearly shown in Fig. 5a, and the purpose of which will appear later on. A plunger D, having a cene tral opening D', through which the spindle A passes, is located within the said annular die, to the internal diameter of which its external diameter corresponds, the function of this plunger being to strip the Wads wound upon the slotted end of the spindle therefrom and to force them out of the die into the paper tubes E, which at the proper time are presented under the die by the feeding mechanism, to be described later on. The lower end of this plunger has formed in it a vertical slot d, extending diametrically through it, as seen in Fig. 511. The upper end of the plunger is screw-threaded and extends upward through a plunger-head D2, in which it is adjustably secured by means of two jam-nuts D3 D3, which provide for raising or lowering it in the plunger-head, as may be required.

The wad-winding spindle A is provided at a point above the upper end of the plunger with a grooved wad-winding friction-pulley 4,A3, rigidly secured to it and receiving a round friction belt A4, by means of which the spindle is driven and which slips upon the pulley when the spindle is locked against rotation. The said pulley is constructed with an upwardly-extending hub A3, which has bearing in a portion of the frame C aforesaid. At its extrelne upper end the s'pindle is furnished with a rigidly-attached st-op-cam A5, having two oppositely-located stop-shoulders a a, each adapted to be engaged by one of two stop-fingers A A11, the other of which coacts with the corresponding stop-cam of the other wad-winding spindle. By reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the upper ends of both spindles have bearing in the frame C,

and by reference to Fig. 9 that the plungers D of both spindles are mounted in the said plunger-head D2, which operates them simultaneously. W'ad-paperis supplied to the machine, as required, in the form of long coils A7 A1, Fig. 3, which are placed in paper-holders A8 A8 of any approved construction. Two pairs of feed-rolls F and F and F2 and F3 are employed for feeding the paper to the slotted lower ends of the spindles. These rolls, though driven contin uousl v,are operated only intermittently to grip the paper strip and feed the same forward through the slots of the dies, plungers, and spindles, immediately after which they let go of the paper, which is then drawn from the coils by the spindles themselves, which grip it as soon as they begin to wind it upon itself. The rolls F and F2 of the respective pairs are secured to the lower ends of vertically-arranged feed-roll driving-shafts F4 F5, Fig. t, each furnished at its upper end with a grooved pulley F11 F11, the two pulleys receiving a round belt F7. The shaft F5 is also furnished with a grooved pulley FS, receiving a driving-belt F9, also passing over grooved guide-pulleys F10 F111 and over a grooved driving-pulley F11, mounted upon the driven shaft G of the machine. Each of the feed-shafts F4 and F5 is also furnished with a small pinion F12, meshing into a corresponding pinion F12, the two pinions F13 being attached to the upper ends of the feed-roll driven shafts F14 F14, to the lower ends of which the rolls F and F3l are secured. The said shafts F14 F14 have bearing in oscillating eccentric bushings F15 F111, mounted in portions of the frame C. These bushings are cylindrical in cross-section, but the passages formed in them for the reception of the driven shafts F14 F11 are eccentric to their centers, whereby as the bushings are oscillated the said driven shafts and the rolls F' and F2 carried by them are moved toward and away from the rolls F and F2, which are fixed in position, but the movement of the shafts F14 F14 never disengages the leaves of the pinions F12 F12, so that the rolls are driven continuously, though the feeding action is only intermittent. For the lateral oscillation of these two shafts F14 F14, I mount upon the driven shaft G a feed-cam F11, which coacts with an antifriction-roll F12, mounted in the rearwardly-projecting arm of a vertically-arran ged oscillating lever F111, provided atits upper end with a forwardly-extending pivotal yoke F20, connected with the rear end of a leverf, the forward end of which is pivotally connected with the outer end of a crank-arm f', clamped upon a hub f2, formed at the lower end of the eccentric bushing F15, the upper end of which is constructed with a similar hub f3, upon which is clamped a crank-arm f4, with the outer end of which the curved end of a horizontally-arranged coupling-bar f5 is connected, the opposite end of the said bar being pivotally connected With a crank-armf, clamped upon a corresponding hub formed at the up- ICO IlO

per end of the eccentric bushing F16 of the other wad-winding mechanism. It will be readily understood from the foregoing that when the feed-cam F17l strikes the antifrictionroll F18 both of the eccentric bushings F15 and F16 will be oscillated, with the effect of moving the driven feed-shafts F14 F14 toward the driving feed-shafts F4 and F5, whereby also the feed-rolls F and F3 will be moved toward their fellows, so as to grip the paper, and as both rolls are continuously rotated the paper will be immediately shot forward through the slots in the lower ends of the dies, plungers, and wad-winding spindles. Then just as soon as the feed-cam F17 clears the antifriction-roll F15 the springf, Fig. l, connected with the upper end of the lever F14?, will retract the same and through the connections thereof with the eccentric bushings oscillate the same in the opposite direction, whereby the feed-rolls F and F3 will be moved away from their fellows and their grip upon the paper relieved, after which the paper will be drawn between them without interference from them by the winding action of thevwadwinding spindles. In order to provide for compensating for variations in the thickness ofthe wad-paper, I prefer to reduce the lower ends of the driven feed-roll shafts F14 F14, as shown in Fig. 8, where the said shafts are shown to be reduced in diameter, as at f8, sufficiently to permit them to yield to permit the paper to pass between the rolls in case it should run thicker than the gage of paper to which the machine is set.

The extreme lower ends of the reduced portions f11f5 of the shafts F14 F14 are stillfurther reduced in diameter for the formation of shoulders against which the feed-rolls F and F3 are forced by the nuts applied to the eX- treme lower ends of the shafts and bearing against the under faces of the said rolls. By reducing the lower end of the feed-roll shafts as described the said ends of the shafts are made sufficiently elastic to spring under extraordinary conditions of pressure. It will be understood, of course, that the shafts are made stiff enough so that they will not be sprung as long as the paper runs uniform in thickness, the shafts then operating as though not reduced and as though perfectly rigid.

Should, however, the paper run thicker than gage, the reduced ends of the shafts will spring just enough to allow the rolls to sufficientl y separate to permit the thickened portions of the paper to pass between them, whereby the fouling of the machine or the placing of undue strain upon it is avoided. It is important to make this provision for the reason that although great care may be taken in procuring the paper it will sometimes run unevenly as to gage.

Two reciprocating knives H H are employed forcutting off the wo und wads from thestrips after the wads have been completed and just before they are forced out of the fixed annular dies B B into the paper tubes E by the B2 B2 formed upon the outer faces of the 'dies and across the diametric slots B thereof.

The said Aknives are operated simultaneously from the driven shaft G by means of a knifecam H, mounted thereupon ando'oacting with anA antifriction-roll H2, journ-aled upon the rearwardly-projecting arm of a verticallyarranged oscillating lever H3, provided at its upward end with a forwardly-extending pivotal yoke H4, which is connected with the rear end of a link H6, the Vforward "end of which is connected with the arm H'7 of a bellcrank lever, the arm H8 ofV which has two links H41 and H10, the outer ends of whichar'e pivotally connected with knife-holders H11H11, respectively carrying the knives H H :and mounted upon sliding blocks H12 H12. When the knives are actuated by means of the knifecam H', they move forward and cut the paper strips off, and are retracted as soon as thecam H' passes the antif'riction-roll H2 by nearfs 'of a spring H13, connected with the oscillating lever H3. Guides or chutes H14 H14, Fig. l0, are interposed between the respective pairs of feed-rolls and the respective annular dies, being arranged in the paths in which the paper is fed and in line with the slots in the dies. These guides are secured to pivotal arms H15 H15, each of which is furnished with a spring H16 H16, which permit the guides to be pushed out of the way by the knives when the same come forward to cut off the paper 'and which restore the guides tolprop'er position for guiding the paper li-r'n'medi'atelyafter` the knives have been retracted. I do not limit myself to these paper-guides, for they may assume a variety of forms.l

The plunger-head D2, Fig. 9, which carries the two plungers D, is operated by means Y'o'f a plunger-lever D4, the forward end 'of which I The rear end of this lever carries an antif-riction-roller D5, which travels in it receives.

cam-groove D6, formed in one face of the plunger-cam D7, mounted on the driven shaft G. The said plunger-lever D4 also o'perates the wad-win'ding-'spindle stop-fingers A6 A, before referred to, the said fingers being `horizontally arranged and adjus'tably mounted in the upper ends of vertically'- arranged arms a a', the lower ends of which are furnished with sleeves co2 a2, flttinfgover the ends of a rock-shaft a3, carryinganope'rating-finger a4, which extends forward and downward in position to be engaged by the upper edgeof the lever D4, whereby the shaft is rocked. The said arms ct a have ind'e- IOO IIO

pendent movement on the shaft, to whichv they are secured by means of pins 0,505, Spassing through elongated slotsa, formed inthe said sleeves. Springs a7 a7, connected with the upper ends of the larms, `exert a'constant effort to draw the arms, land hence the fingers, v

forward and engage the latter Wit'hthe stopcams A5 A5 at the upper ends of the wadwinding spindles A A. The lift'i'ngo'f the 1in'- ger a4 by the lifting of the forward end of the lever D4 will cause the rock-shaft A3 to be rocked rearward, whereby the fingers will be simultaneously disengaged from the two stopcams; but the arms are free to be moved forward independent of each other by the springs 0.7 0.7 within the limit of movement allowed by the length of the slots a6 a, so that the fingers act independently in the performance of their stopping functions, and this is desirable because on account of variationsin the thickness of the paper the Wad-winding spindles will not stop simultaneously, from which it follows that the stop-cams A5 A5 at their upper ends will not come to rest in the same relative positions, so that if the arms a a were rigidly connected to the rock-shaft a3, so as to maintain the fingers AAin fixed relations to each other, the engagement of one linger with a high point of the stop-cam with which it coacts might prevent the other nger from properly engaging with the stop-cam with which it coacts. From this it will be seen that it is essential that the two wadwinding-spindle stop-fingers should within narrow limits be free to be moved forward independentJ of each other by the springs al a7, so that they may be ready at all times to properly coact with the stop-cams without regard to the positions at which the same come to rest.

Only one of the wad-winding friction-belts A4 is shown. That is seen in Fig. l to run over one of the wad-winding pulleys and over a driving-pulley a8, mounted on a driven shaft a9, supported at the upper end of a rearwardly-inclined arm d10. An idler a. rides upon the belt A4 and keeps it taut, the said idler being mounted in the outer end of a swinging arm am, pivotally connected with the upper end of the arm d10.

For the purpose of expanding the upper ends of the tubes preparatory to their reception of wads I preferably furnish the machine with two conical expanders als a, mounted in a cross-piece a, secured to the lower end of a vertically-arranged stem am, mounted with a capacity for vertical adjustment in a portion of the reciprocating plunger-head D2. With every descent of this head the conical expanders descend and enter the open upper ends of two tubes, which they expand into slightly bell-mouth shape. The use of these expanders is not imperative, although preferred.

It will be understood that in the operation of the wad-winding mechanism the paper is fed by the feed-rolls through the slots in the annular dies, and through the slots in the lower ends of the plungers, and through the slots in the lower ends of the wad-winding spindles. After the paper has been fed, as

described, the rolls separate to permit the paper to be drawn freely between them thereafter by the action of the wad-windin g spindles, which begin to rotate almost immediately after the paper has been fed, but before the spindles begin to rotate the plungers are raised so as to clear the lower ends of the spindles and leave the lower ends of the dies free for the formation of the wads.

By preference l slot the lower ends of the plungers and feed the paper when the plungers are depressed, as set forth, as l save time in that way, the paper being fed before the plungers have had time to retire after stripping the wads from the spindles, but the slotting of the plungers is not essential. After the paper has been fed, as described, and is released by the feed-rolls and the plungers have been elevated the stop-fingers are automatically disengaged from the stop-cams at the upper ends of the spindles, leaving the spindles free to be rotated with great rapidity by the friction-belts A4 A4. The spindles continue winding until the exterior peripheries of the wads engage with the inner peripheries of the annular dies and develop an amount of friction superior to the friction between the said belts and the grooved pulleys A3 A3, when the spindles come to a standstill. The reciprocating knives II H are now operated for cutting off the wound wads from the strips. The plunger-head D2, carrying the plungers D D, now descends and the plungers strip the wads off from the spindles and force them out of the dies into shells E3 E3, which are presented under them. Meanwhile the stop-iingers have been allowed to drop into position to engage with the stop-cams of the spindles. As soon, then, as the spindles are relieved of the restraining action of the wads they are started in rotation again by their belts AJX A4, but this rotation is only partial, as they can be rotatedA no further than is required for the engagement of the shoulders of their stopcams with the said fingers, which hold them against rotation and with the slots in their lower ends in right position for the reception of the free ends of the paper strips, at which time the said slots are alined with the slots in the plungers and dies. The operation above referred to is then repeated, and so on.

By frictionally stopping the wads I am enabled to compensate for variations in the thickness of the paper, whereas if the spindles were rotated a predetermined number of times any want of uniformity in the paper could not well be compensated for and the wads might vary in size, but l do not limit myself to constructing the wad-winding mechanism so as to have the spindles stopped frictionally, as l might arrange the mechanism to stop them positively after a predetermined number of revolutions. It will be understood, however, that when the machine is constructed as shown and described for the frictional stoppage of the wads after they have attained full size the action of the stop-fingers is timed so that the equal periods between their automatie operation will always be long enough to permit a full-sized wad to be wound when the paper is running at its thinnest. In other words, the action of the IOO TIO

stop-iin gers is timed so that there will always be a slight margin of time over and above t-he time required for the formation of a fullsized wad and its frictional stoppage, for otherwise it might happen that the spindles would be automatically stopped before the wads were wound to full size, particularly in case the paper should run thin.

The assembling or cupping mechanism employed in my improved machine may be of any approved construction. As herein shown, it employs a reducer I, a crimper I', an assembling-punch l2, a seating-punch 13, and a takeoff or stripper 14, the reducer I, criinper I', assemblingpunch I2, and seating-punch I3 being all secured to the lower end of a gatehead I5, playing up and down in a suitable press-frame and actuated by an operatinglever I6, rocking on a stud I7 and having its outer end connected with an eccentric-rod I8, the opposite end of which is connected with and driven by the main or driving shaft G', which is located directly below the drivingshaft G. The take-off I4 is mounted so as to have vertical reciprocation in a boX I, secured to the gate-head, and is connected with the outer end of the lever I6, and thus has imparted to it a vertical reciprocating movement in addition to the movement which it has with the gate-head I5 on account of its box I40M being connected therewith. The f unction of the reducer is to reduce the shells to their normal size, or, in other words, to remove the expansion which they undergo under the action of the conical expanders. The crimper criinps the upper ends of the shells and reduces them in size sufficiently to permit the ready application of the cups t', while the seating-punch I3 pushes the cups home and seats them more solidly on the upper ends of the tubes than the assembling-punch.

The takeoff I'1 is of known construction and operates to strip the wadded and cupped tubes from the feeding mechanism and discharge them from the machine. In its descent with the gate-head the take-off is forced down upon the cupped end of a shell, so as to grip the same. Then the supplemental movement imparted to the takeoff on account of its connection with the lever I6 causes it to be lifted independently of the gate-head, whereby the shell is stripped from .the pin with which it is engaged. The next time the gate-head descends and the shell on the next succeeding pin is stripped therefrom by the take-0E the last shell lifts the preceding shell upward through the take-off, and so on, a column of loose shells being located in the take-off when the machine is operating and one shell tumbling out of the upper end of the take-off for every revolution of the machine into a trough or other medium of discharge. It seems unnecessary for me to further describe the details of the take-off, as the same is per se an old device. The cups are fed downward under the assemblingpunch I2 by the action of gravity through a chute or guideway J, the lower end of which is curved and terminates in two corresponding, horizon tally-arranged,yielding cup-holding fingers J J', having their forward ends bowed toward each other to prevent the forward lateral escape of the cups, the flanges of which rest upon the upper edges of the fingers, as shown in Fig. 12a. The cups, being fed by gravity into the said fingers, 'are disengaged therefrom by the action of the assembling-punch which engages'with the cups, causing the fingers to spread apart and permit the cups to pass down over the wadded upper ends of the paper tubes, as clearly shown in Fig. l2. The fingers J J may, however, be replaced by other means for presenting the cups to the tubes. A guide Ja is located below the said fingers, as shown in Fig. l2, and forms, as it were, an extension of the chute J. The cups are fed into the chute from a large fiat hopper J2 of any approved construction and do not need detailed description. By preference I shall employ an agitating device to insure the feeding of the cups into the chute from the hopper.

The feeding mechanism employed in my machine has the twofold function of presenting the empty tubes to the wadding mechanism and of presenting, the wadded tubesA to the assembling or cupping mechanism. A single feeding mechanism therefore suffices for both of the other mechanisms. As herein shown, this feeding mechanism consists of a horizontally-arranged dial K, mounted upon the bed K of the machine and furnished with a circular series of corresponding pins K2, adapted in diameter to firmly support the tubes, the lower ends of these pins being larger than their upper ends to form a shoulder K3 upon which the lower ends of the tubes rest. upon the bed K and centered by means of a circular plate K4, which in turn is held down and centered by means of a disk K5, receiving the upperend of a bolt K6, which, through the medium of the diskK5 and plate K4, secures` the dial to the bed. Springs K7 K7, interposed between the disk and plate, make the connection a yielding one. The dial is actuated intermittently -orvstep by step through equally-spaced pins K8, located in its periphery and engaged by a pawl K9, pivotally mounted upon a lever K10, having its inner end hung upon the bolt K6 as a center and having its outer end connected bya yoke K11,

a rod K12, and a. yoke K13 with an eccentric K1, actuated by a cam, (not shown,) but mounted upon the driving-shaft G, as seen in Fig. 2, the said shaft being furnished with a driving-pulley K15 and driving the driven shaft through a gear-wheel K, mounted thereupon.

The feeding mechanism shown and` de- As herein shown, the dial is held down lloc scribed may be replaced. by other forms of feeding mechanism-such, for instance, as an endless belt but whatever the form the feeding mechanism takes it will be constructed and arranged to have the twofold function of presenting the empty tubes to the wadding mechanism and then presenting` without intermediate handling the wadded tubes to the assembling or cupping mechanism.

The operation of the several mechanisms has been so fully set forth in connection with their detailed description that it is thought unnecessary to describe or speak further of the operation of the machine more than to say that, as herein shown, it is designed that the assembling mechanism shall be run twice as fast as the wadding mechanism. This is for the purpose of allowing ample time for winding and solidifying the wads. The machine is therefore geared up to cause the dial of the feeding mechanism to make two Inovenients to one movement of the plungers of the wadding mechanism, so that the wads are introduced into the alternate tubes instead of into the successive tubes; but the tube that skips the first wad-winder will be filled by the second. and so on. The machine is also geared up, so that the cupping mechanism shall operate at the same speed as the feeding mechanism.

The introduction of the wads into alternate tubes instead of into successive tubes results from the described mode of timing the operation of the dial with respect to the operation of the wadding mechanism which is made double, so that it may be run only half as fast as the feeding mechanism, which is a single mechanism, and which, on account of its character and function, may be safely run at twice the speed of the wadding mechanism.

It is not to be understood that the two wadwinders operate alternately, for their wadwinding action is simultaneous, so that although the feeding mechanism runs twice as fast as the wadding mechanism the same is able to keep up with the feeding mechanism, because it contains two wad-winders, or, in other words, is a double mechanism.

In the operation of the machine the two plungers of the wadding mechanism descend simultaneously and wad two shells, the two plungers being separated so as to virtually straddle one shell, which will be left empty. The next movement ofthe dial brings the empty shell under the inner plunger, the outer of the two shells previously wadded between the two plungers, and an empty shell under the outer plunger. Then the next time the two plungers descend they will wad the two empty shells mentioned and straddle, as it were, the wadded shell between them. As two shells are wadded every time the plunger descends it is clear that the wadding mechanism has to run only half as fast as the feeding and cuppingmechanisms need to run to keep up with it.

In view of the various changes and substitutions which have been suggested and others which may obviously be made I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein shown and described, but hold myself at libert-y to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope ot' my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an automatic machine for wadding and cupping paper-shell cartridges, the combination with a wadding mechanism, of an assembling or cupping mechanism, a single feeding mechanism arranged with relation to the said wadding and cupping mechanisms so as to present empty paper tubes to the wadding mechanism in position to receive the wads produced thereby, and then to present the wadded tubes to the assembling or cupping mechanism in position to have cups applied to their wadded ends, whereby one feeding mechanism is adapted to feed not only a wadding mechanism,butalsoacupping mechanism, and operating connections for driving the said wadding, cupping and feeding mech`- anisms, which are timed to perform their functions in the right order.

2. In an automatic machine for wadding and cupping paper-shell cartridges, the combination with a double wadding mechanism, of a cupping mechanism, a feeding mechanism to present empty tubes to the wadding mechanism, and then to present the wadded tubes to the cupping mechanism, and operating connections whereby the feeding mechanism is operated at twice the speed of the double waddin g mechanism, and whereby the cupping mechanism is operated at the same speed as the feeding mechanism, substantially as described.

3. In an automatic machine for wadding ICO and cuppin g paper-shell cartridges, the oombination with a wadding mechanism, of an assembling or cupping mechanism, an intermittently-actuated dial adapted to receive empty tubes and arranged with reference to the said wadding and cupping mechanisms so as to present empty tubes to the former for the introduction of wads into them, and then to carry the wadded tubes on to the cup* ping mechanism for the application of cups to them thereby, and means for operating the said wadding and cupping mechanisms and dial in proper concert, substantially asset forth, and whereby a single dial is made to perform the twofold office of feeding not only a waddin g mechanism, but also a cupping mechanism, without any intermediate handling of the shells.

4. In' an automatic machine for winding wads, the combination with a wad-winding spindle having its lower end slotted, of a pair of feed-rolls, one of which is positively moved toward and away from the other for causing them to grip and feed the paper to the spindle, and then release it to permit it to be drawn inward by the spindle; a shaft upon which one of the rolls is mounted and the lower end of which is made elastic to permit its lateral deflection for enlarging the space between the IIO two rolls when the paper runs thicker than gage; and a bushing chambered for` the reception of the elastic portion of the said shaft so as to give clearance thereto for the lateral deflection thereof.

5. In a machine for winding wads, the combination with two wad-winding spindles having their lower ends slotted, of two pairs of feed-rolls of which each pair has one roll positively movable toward and away from its fellow for causing the rolls to temporarily grip the paper strips and feed them to the said spindles, and then release the paper strips to permit the same to be drawn inward by the spindles; and means for connecting the movable rolls of each pair of rolls for their operation in unison, so that the two strips will be fed at the same time to their respective spindles, one roll of each pair of rolls being yielding to provide extra space between the rolls in case the paper runs thicker than gage.

o. In an automatic machine for winding wads, the combination with two wad-winding spindles, of two pairs of feed-rolls, an eccentric bushing for one roll of each pair of rolls, and means for connecting the said eccentric bushings together so that the movable roll of each pair may simultaneously move toward and away from its fellow.

7. In a machine for winding wads, the combination with two wad-winding spindles having their lower ends slotted, of stop-cams mounted upon the said spindles, means for driving the said spindles simultaneously, a rock-shaft, two arms carried thereby and mounted for independent oscillation thereupon, two stop-fingers respectively mounted in the said arms and arranged to coact withv tlie said stop-cams, and springs coacting with the said arms for the independent operation of the stop-lingers within the limits ofthe independent movement of the said arms upon the rock-shaft, whereby the stop-fingers will be simultaneously disengaged from the two stop-cams, but independently rengaged therewith by the said springs.

8. In an automatic machine for wadding and cupping paper-shell cartridges, the combination with a wadding mechanism, of an assembling or cuppin g mechanism, 'and a single, feeding mechanism arranged with relation to the wadding and assembling mechanisms so as to present empty shells to the Wadding mechanism in position to have wads introduced into them thereby, and then to carry the wadded shells to the clipping mechanism and present them thereto in position to have cups applied to them thereby, the said cupping mechanism comprising an assemblingpunch, a long chute down through which the cups are fed by gravity, yielding lingers located at the lower end of the said chute for receiving cups therefrom and holding them under the punch, and a guide located below the said fingers and guiding the cups on their way from the same into the said shells.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

XVILLIAM MASON.

Witnesses:

GEO. D. SEYMOUR, FRED. C. EARLE. 

